Fluid filters are widely known and used in various systems and applications, for example such systems that require particle and/or fluid separation from a working fluid. As one example, fuel filtration systems for engines are well known and employ fluid filters that oftentimes have fuel filtration capabilities based on different micron ratings. Generally, a micron rating for a fluid filter is one way of indicating the ability of the filter's media to remove contaminants by the size of particles it is exposed to. As some examples, fluid filters can have micron rated filter elements ranging from 3 to 50 micron.
Installing the proper micron rated filter element into a fluid filter is important for maintaining efficient filtration in a given filtration system and for protecting equipment, such as an engine. With fuel filters, for example, their filter elements often look similar and inadvertent installation of the wrong micron rated filter element can occur. For example, such an accident can easily occur during servicing and maintenance in the aftermarket. It is desired that such accidents be prevented or at least minimized.
Improvements can be made upon existing fluid filter designs. Particularly, structural improvements can be made as to how a fluid filter is assembled and to help control that the correct micron rated filter element is installed.